7 writing prompts for those who would rather do anything else instead of writing

Does the thought of creating fresh content for your Web site or your blog give you a headache? Are you a master at finding things you would rather do instead of write? Use these writing prompts to make content creation easier.
• Are you a sports fan?
Pick a favorite sport. Use terms from the game to describe how you help your clients succeed.

• Do you have a hobby like woodworking or gardening?
Compare the steps required to complete a hobby project to those you take working with a new customer.

• Does a chilled beverage hold more appeal than a pen (or other writing tool)?
Think up some sizzling summer specials.

• Are you a foodie?
Spice up your writing and your product descriptions with luscious adjectives. In case you’ve never noticed, many descriptors—even in the business world—are food related like “raspberry iPad cover” and “lime laptop sleeve.”

• Would you rather be curled up in a hammock with a good book?
Plug a product by patterning your promotional blurb after the cover jacket text.

• Are you a gamer?
Talk about a winning strategy in gaming and in business.

• Do you enjoy playing word games?
If so, your problem may be procrastination instead of hating to write. Use words from a game like Dabble (pictured above) to inspire future text.

If you are still at a loss for ideas, contact me for ghostwriting and online presence management help.

Debbie Lynn Butler, the E-Content Butler and founder of AVA Professional Support Services, enables clients to save time and shine online with her content writing, editing, publishing, and online presence management services.

Image credit: Debbie Lynn Butler

Billions of what?

 

Does your online content make people think? Although I am actively involved in improving the lives of those living in poverty, I can still be surprised by online research revealing how some people choose to use time, resources, and technology.  How about you?

Match the statement to the correct number in billions (lettered A-F). Figures are based on May 2013 research.

1. Cost to put the first four people on Mars

2. Global citizens living on less than $1.25/day

3. Individuals living on less than $2.50 USD/day

4. The earth’s inhabitants in May 2013

5. People without access to toilets

6. Those without safe drinking water

7. Number of folks with access to a mobile phone

8. Hours of YouTube watched in one month in spring 2013

9. World population in October 1999

10. More than ____ live in substandard housing

Debbie Lynn Butler, the E-Content Butler and founder of AVA Professional Support Services, enables clients to save time and shine online with her content writing, editing, publishing, and online presence management services.

Image credit: Debbie Lynn Butler

1-F 2-B 3-E 4-C 5-D 6-A 7-F 8-E 9-F 10-A, B

7 clues that it is time to clean up your language

The words you choose have a powerful effect on your audience. People will remember how you made them feel long after they forget your exact words.

It’s time to clean up your language and word choices if you
1. Use words that are difficult for your intended audience to understand
2. Fail to define technical terms and industry idioms that can’t be avoided
3. Talk down to others instead of treating them as friends
4. Forego inclusive language in order to appear more powerful and in control
5. Fill conversational gaps with fillers like um or you know
6. Speak in slang–even business slang
7. Choose to make off-colored or derogatory remarks

How do you need to clean up your act?

Debbie Lynn Butler, the E-Content Butler and founder of AVA Professional Support Services, enables clients to save time and shine online with her content writing, editing, publishing, and online presence management services.

Image credit: Debbie Lynn Butler

Where do you find the time? 7 ways to build your online presence without giving up too much time

A common excuse for not _____ [fill in the blank: blogging, participating on social networking sites, updating a Web site, writing a Kindle bestseller, building an online presence] is “I don’t have enough time.” Here’s where to find the time to make sure your prospects can find you and your business online.

• Record more.
As soon as a thought that might interest your audience pops into your head, record it. You’ll save time trying to come up with creative ideas.

• Turn off the television.
Use the time you save to create content.

• Hire help.
A ghostwriter, copywriter, virtual assistant, housekeeper, personal chef, caregiver, or office manager can give you more hours to focus on writing.

• Create when you are at your best.
You’ll get more creative work done when you are most alert and energized. Save folding laundry or polishing the truck for when you can barely think straight.

• Single task.
Multi-tasking only saves time for the people who pile their jobs on your plate. If you can’t delegate to others, at least set aside an uninterrupted chunk of time to work on building your online presence.

• Sleep less.
By giving up as little as 15 minutes of sleep at the start or the end of your day, you can whip out at least one fresh content theme, headline, or closing and call to action.

• Make the most of your sleeplessness.
I understand not wanting to sacrifice a minute of sleep because you’ve been up caregiving and then couldn’t fall back to sleep. Use voice-to-text software to organize your day, record random thoughts that might lead to future content, or read other people’s blogs for inspiration.

Where will you find the time to build your online presence? See how I can help with writing, editing, publishing, and online presence management.

What do pink daffodils have to do with customer service?

When confronted with a customer problem, you as your company’s customer service representative can do several things:
• Acknowledge the problem OR tell the customer s/he is color blind—the daffodils ARE pink
• Offer to fix the problem OR point out that peach–colored daffodils cost more, so this is good deal
• Say you’re sorry and ask the customer what s/he would like to see happen next OR justify your mistake with excuses
• Listen to the complaint and then offer a refund OR ignore the complaint completely because everyone knows daffodils are yellow
• Send the pink daffodil bulbs and ask the customer to enjoy both the pink and the peach flowers with your compliments OR read from a script that doesn’t address the problem, offer a solution, or provide a refund
• Enjoy repeat business from this customer OR lose a customer for life
Which will you choose?

Photo credit: Debbie Lynn Butler

Are you posting on LinkedIn and Twitter at the best time for business?

Thanks to the Internet, you can have customers all over the world. Are you tweeting and posting at the best times to reach your ideal clients? To determine the answer to that question, you need to know
• Who your best prospects are
• Whether your connection will be business to business or business to consumer
• What time zone they live in
• Which social networks, industry forums, and other social media sites they frequent
and also
• What they are searching for
• What has captured their attention in the past
• How specifically you can help them

Armed with these facts and figures, you can craft LinkedIn updates and tweets that will capture the interest of your intended audience.  Next, use the Compendium infographic “What Works For Social Sharing: B2B vs. B2C” to determine best social networking practices for your business.  Finally, use a tool like HootSuite to schedule your posts at the times when they will have the most impact.

What is your time worth?

Small Business Trends recently reported that 95% of small business owners would pay between $100 and $500 dollars for one more productive hour in their work day. You can see the Mavenlink infographic here. My clients pay less than that $100-$500 per hour for my virtual assistance and online presence management. What content marketing, social media, or online presence building could I do for you so you could be more productive?

A Matter of Time